Some of My War Stories: A Paper Read before the Ohio Commandery of the Loyal legion — John Shaqi
Some of My War Stories: A Paper Read before the Ohio Commandery of the Loyal legionFoote, Allen Ripley
History
Some of My War Stories: A Paper Read before the Ohio Commandery of the Loyal legion
Foote, Allen Ripley
United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Personal narratives
That night I lay on the ground under a large tree. Noting that every
breath sent bubbles of air through my wound, I called a soldier who was
trying to care for the wounded and told him I could not live long on
half-rations of air. He looked at my wound, tore some square pieces off a
bandage roll, placed them over the wound and punched them into it with his
finger and poured some cold water on the cloth. This caused the blood to
congeal about the cloth and enable me to get the benefit of the air I was
breathing.
The next morning I was taken back to Savage Station where I was placed on
Dr. Bliss' dressing table (he was then Medical Director of the Division)
to have my wound dressed. As he cut my shirt off I looked up at him and
said, laughingly, "Doctor here is a wound you cannot amputate." As soon as
he had uncovered it, he said, "It would be much better for you, my boy, if
I could."
When my shirt was cut off, I discovered another wound on my left arm about
half way between the shoulder and elbow. The bullet had chipped off a spot
as large as a silver dollar but had not buried itself in the flesh. The
arm was black and very much swollen. My wounds were soon bandaged and I
was laid on the ground beside the railroad track to await transportation
to Fortress Monroe. From there I was sent to Long Island College Hospital
in Brooklyn, N. Y. When convalescent I was ordered to the Invalid Camp at
Alexandria, Va. I did not relish the idea of becoming a "condemned yankee"
as the members of Invalid Corps were then called. In going through
Washington we passed by the Armory Square Hospital, then in charge of Dr.
Bliss. I "fell out" and went into his office. Fortunately I found him at
his desk. When he looked at me he recognized me at once and said, "See
here, young man, this will never do. You will ruin my reputation. I
reported you mortally wounded at Fair Oaks and have had you dead and
buried in the Chickahominy swamp for six months." I said, "I will improve
your reputation by giving you an opportunity to resurrect me." I then told
him I did not want to be a "condemned yankee" and wanted him to find a way
to save me from going to the Invalid Camp. He immediately called the
hospital steward, ordered him to put me in bed and keep me there four
days, I protested, saying I was perfectly able to be about. The Doctor
said to me in an undertone, "You stay in bed four days; by that time I
will have an order assigning you to duty in my office."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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